Safety
3-13
Water Sport Tips
These tips are designed to help speed your learning, while ensuring safety.
Practice, training from a professional and advice from experienced boaters are the
best tools for learning safety when it comes to water sports.
REMEMBER: It's important to follow the manufacturer's recommendations
for the intended use of the water sport equipment.
REMEMBER: It is illegal in many states to participate in towed water sports
without a USCG-approved life jacket.
BE AWARE
You are responsible for your own wakes. Be considerate of other boaters,
especially small fishing boats, canoes and kayaks that can overturn easily.
Also, be aware of your wakes in relation to swimmers, docks and boats tied
to docks.
Water Skiing
A rush of acceleration as you cut across the wakes will cause you to go faster than
the speed of the boat. You can slice it up in open water, or navigate the slalom
course if you want to track your progress in the competitive side of the sport.
When water skiing, keep the following tips in mind:
• Speed: Faster than wakeboarding, but still only requires about 20-24 mph on
combo skis or a shaped slalom ski. More advanced slalom skiers can go
anywhere from the mid 20s to a top speed of 36 mph.
• Line length: 75 feet is a good place to start, but adjust it accordingly to find the
mellowest, most ski-friendly part of the wake on your boat. Serious skiers
obsess over taking that line length ever shorter, while still attempting to reach
the buoys in a slalom course.
• Driving tips: Guide the boat straight, since today's towboats handle almost like
on a rail. Speed controls also promote consistent speeds. Follow the same path
back and forth to stay on the smoothest water. Drivers should hold speed
commensurate with the level of the skier.
• Ballast: Equal weight means equal wakes. If you're a 175-pound driver, make
sure you have a balanced load on the opposite side (a 125-pound passenger
with 50 pounds of ballast, etc.). Lighten the load in the back of the boat to
prevent the hull from digging in, creating larger-than-intended wakes.
Deep water start: Go into a crouched position, with combo skis or slalom ski
underneath you and legs very bent. Point the ski tip out of the water toward the
boat. Don't worry if a slalom ski isn't straight up and down. Keep part of it touching
the tow rope, then as the boat starts, it will correct itself and center along the
tow-rope line.
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